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The Seyugi Dervishes
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Jedi Academy Training Manual Not every Force Tradition teaches peace and serenity. The Seyugi Dervishes train in the arts of unarmed combat, stealth, and subterfuge. However, it is their mastery of The Force that makes them deadly assassins. They terrorize the Core Worlds, hiring themselves out as contract killers specializing in eliminating nobles, corporate heads, and other important individuals. Seyugi Dervishes are so named for their confusing, whirling movements, which rare survivors would proclaim a "Beautiful Dance of Death." Clad in red robes and white masks, unarmed Seyugi Dervishes can slip unnoticed into heavily defended compounds and murder their targets quietly and with alarming speed. The Seyugi Dervishes spread rumors about their prowess, so that mere mention of the Dervishes instills dread in the populace. Seyugi Dervishes rarely employ weapons, relying on their Unarmed combat skill and The Force to complete their missions. Members of The Seyugi Dervishes Force Tradition can select Talents from the Seyugi Dervish Talent Tree. Membership Anyone can be a Seyugi Dervish, provided he or she has the Force Sensitivity Feat. Initiates are abducted and indoctrinated at a young age so that they become fanatic in their devotion to the Seyugi tradition. History Seyugi Dervishes get the first part of their name from a now extinct culture that populated the planet Recopia. The Seyugi were nomads who traversed the hazy skies of that planet on massive repulsorlift barges. Shunned by the rest of the populace as a culture of thieves, cutthroats, and pickpockets, the Seyugi kept to themselves. Several hundred years before the Battle of Yavin, a Force-sensitive Seyugi leader named Karrh gathered together the warriors of the various clans who also showed potential in The Force. After generations of prejudice and scorn, Karrh trained these warriors in the arts of stealth and silent killing, teaching them his own version of The Force. These warriors became the first Seyugi Dervishes and were sent on missions to eliminate threats and bring justice to those who disparaged the Seyugi people. Over time, the Seyugi spread throughout The Core, establishing themselves as assassins who will work for anyone with the credits to pay their outlandish fees. The Seyugi Dervishes eventually attract the attention of the Jedi Order, which views them as a menace to the galaxy. The Jedi send ships and Jedi Knights to bring down the Dervishes, who have established numerous bases throughout The Core and beyond. The hunt takes decades, and by the end of it The Jedi believe that The Seyugi Dervishes are no more. However, in a desperate act of survival, the last few Seyugi Dervishes retreat to a secret temple-fortress on Recopia. Amazingly, The Jedi fail to locate this last cell. These Seyugi Dervishes place themselves in carbonite hibernation, waiting for the right moment to return. A few descendents of the Seyugi, called The Mallif, are strange religious monks who sometimes broadcast their odd philosophies on hijacked HoloNet transmissions. The vast majority of these religious malcontents are unaware of the slumbering evil on Recopia. Those who do know help maintain the fortress, keeping it safe until the time is right to awaken the slumbering Seyugi. Location Seyugi Dervishes are most prominent during the era of The Old Republic. Although most of their activities are limited to The Core, Seyugi Dervishes venture widely to perform their missions and can be encountered just about anywhere. Seyugi Dervishes have bases on nearly every major planet within The Core and several outposts located on distant worlds in the Mid Rim. However, The Jedi eventually realize the threat of the Dervishes and nearly wipe out the tradition. By the time of the Clone Wars, the only remaining Seyugi Dervish stronghold is a temple-fortress on the sulfuric planet of Recopia in The Core. Any number of events might release The Seyugi Dervishes from their carbonite hibernation, allowing them to regroup and terrorize the galaxy once more. Philosophy Force Adepts or Force Disciples of The Seyugi Dervishes tradition ignore many of the theories of The Force put forth by The Jedi. For the Dervishes, The Force is a way to master one's body, honing it into a weapon. Although their actions could definitely be considered evil, The Seyugi Dervishes do not ascribe to many of the tenants of the Dark Side either. They deplore random chaos and violence, and their goals are motivated by greed and personal achievement, not power. Still, their deeds and beliefs are such that many Seyugi Dervishes find themselves in the service of other powerful dark siders. Like The Jedi, Seyugi Dervishes seek out infants who possess Force Sensitivity, preferring these "Unspoiled Templates" to older younglings. When a potential initiate is found, the Dervishes send one of their number to kidnap the youngling and bring them back to one of their many temples to begin a lifelong study of tradition, sequestered with monastic discipline. After fifteen years of training, a Seyugi Dervish is sent on their first mission, usually under the watchful eye of a master who monitors the situation from a distance and removes any trace of the attack if the apprentice fails. Upon graduation, Seyugi Dervishes are free to wander the galaxy, receiving orders through encrypted communiqués and via The Force. Assassinations performed by the Dervishes are incredibly expensive, but clients can rest assured that the job will be done quietly, quickly, and discreetly. Seyugi Dervishes are masters of Unarmed combat. Unless a mission requires specialized Equipment, a Dervish rarely carries anything, including Weapons, which might trigger sensors or cause unwanted noise. They wear traditional garb of red cloaks and white masks, both to conceal their identities and to capitalize on the terror these costumes engender. In addition to their training in Unarmed combat and The Force, Dervishes study the autonomies of various Species, allowing them to pinpoint central nerve clusters and cause other debilitating wounds. Seyugi Dervishes prefer to work alone, but two or more will sometimes band together to complete particularly dangerous assignments. On rare occasions, a Dervish will employ specialized contractors to help them out, especially slicers and demolitions experts, although in many cases, the "Hired Help" has no clue who they are working for and are eliminated afterward to conceal the Dervish's cover and identity. Building a Seyugi Dervish As a Seyugi Dervish, your background is pretty much determined for you; all Seyugi Dervishes are trained assassins kidnapped as infants and raised in Seyugi training compounds. However, you can decide where your hero is going, and how he or she fits into the larger galaxy. As a trained assassin with mastery of The Force, what motivates you to be more than just a mercenary? What binds you to the rest of the party? If there are other Force-users in your group, how do you reconcile your immersion in the Dark Side of The Force with your actions on the party's behalf? When building your Seyugi Dervish, keep in mind that you will need to function as a member of an adventuring party, and as such will need to make sure that your hero doesn't create unnecessary conflict. As a Seyugi Dervish, you not only want to take Force Powers and Talents that augment your combat skill but also powers that reflect your decision to embrace the Dark Side of The Force. Dark Side powers that augment combat prowess are the most likely to help realize your hero's training. Additionally, when considering Prestige Classes, you can choose either to focus more on the Force training your character received (In which case you take the Force Adept Prestige Class and focus on Talents from the Dark Side Devotee Talent Tree), or to focus on your hero's assassin training (In which case you might consider the Assassin Prestige Class). To reflect your skill in Unarmed combat, the Martial Arts Feats are a logical choice for your Seyugi Dervish (Martial Arts I, Martial Arts II, and Martial Arts III). Additionally, your Seyugi Dervish might wish to take Feats or Talents that improve mobility, such as the 'Long Stride '''Talent belonging to the Scout. Dervish Heroic Units ''See also: Heroic Units The Old Republic Era See also: The Old Republic Era Dervish Nonheroic Units See also: Nonheroic Units Category:Affiliations